HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93010_0827could use it free of charge. Marshall said he was willing to return to the council to seek
approval of the arrangement.
Commissioner Williams asked who would employ the library staff.
Marshall said it would be the city's building, but the county could operate it.
Commissioner Johnson asked who would maintain the building.
Marshall said the city would not assume the maintenance. He said he was trying to
allay any fears about any structural problems that might occur five or ten years from now.
VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0.
OTIO by Commissioner Ray, based on the expertise provided to the City of
Statesville and Iredell County by the library architect, his structural engineers, the civil
engineers, along with the experts the City of Statesville contracted with, and their
assurance that the Meeting Street site was structurally sound and "buildable" and in
accordance with the motion passed on June 18, 2002, by a five to zero vote, to accept the
documentation that shows the site is a suitable site for construction, and the
documentation submitted by Mayor Marshall to show that the city has committed
resources to put the site in a "buildable" condition, and further, that we instruct the
County Attorney and County Manager to review the joint agreement and put it into final
legal form and to authorize the chairman to execute the agreement and instruct the
architect to do a site development plan and begin final working drawings. (Mrs. Ray
added that every member of the board shared the same concern and due diligence in
regards to the proper handling of tax dollars that belonged to the Iredell County citizens,
and that each member desired to make good, sound decisions regarding the expenditure
of those dollars.)
Commissioner Johnson then read the following prepared remarks.
"I personally desire to keep the Iredell County library in the downtown area of the
county. For the county seat to be the cultural and governmental seat of a county, even in
a county as diverse as Iredell County, this is certainly desired. It is desired in both a
practical and marketing point of view. The degree to which I desire this is demonstrated
by the fact that I voted to proceed withan examination of the Meeting Street site. A site
which closes one of the busiest streets in the city and involves considerable cost to the
city. But it is not my intention to revisit these issues, but to show that they are indicative
of my desire for the library to be downtown.
"When I first approached the city early in the process, and Statesville by the way, is one
of the few cities that does not help fund a library in its city limits, my hope was to secure
funding for the library which would enhance it. Since we were only funding
approximately 80% of our needs, we were hopeful that city funds would help us make the
library bigger, or better, or both. The fact is now, the city will spend $1.4 to $1.5 million
dollars, but the money will not result in a library that is any improvement over the one we
would have had if they had chosen to spend nothing. In fact, it could result in less of a
building because of the problems with the site. During the borings, I made several trips
to the site. I have been told that I am not a structural engineer, and this is true, but I do
know water when I see it and gasoline when I smell it. In my mind, when we voted to
allow them to examine the site, it was to give this board an opportunity to make an
educated decision for ourselves as to whether this site was desirable. It is the process of
this board to seek advice. This board can choose to accept the advice or not. I was there
when a gentleman dropped a rock down the first hole and heard a distinctive splash, as
when a rock is dropped into water if a substantial depth is present. I was there when they
bored one hole, and at three and one-half feet water and mud came out. This is in the
midst of a four-year drought -- the worst drought in decades.
"On one visit to the site, atter exiting my vehicle, I immediately encountered the strange
smell of gasoline. The crew was boring in the middle of Meeting Street. Placing a $5.6
million building on a site such as this would be understandable in a densely developed
metropolitan area, but Statesville is not.
"Would the city he willing to appropriate $1.6 million to another site in the downtown
area? If not, why are they so tied to this site with all of its problems?